Hong by Starlight: Sea Cave Kayaking and Loy Krathong Floating
Description
Enjoy an afternoon of sea cave exploring in Phang Nga Bay, including the limestone caves and hidden cliff-lined lagoons discovered by John Gray in 1989. Expect a great nature and wildlife adventure with an experienced guide and enjoy the best Thai seafood buffet during your holiday aboard the convenient escort boat. Finish your trip after dark by floating your own self-made flower “Kratong” in a spiritual and spectacular natural light show.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This full-day kayak trip from Phuket starts at midday to avoid the crowds, with a convenient pickup service by luxury air-conditioned minivan from the entire Phuket Island. Don’t eat lunch, as you will be served a healthy and nutritious meal onboard the comfortable and modern twin-engine escort boat after leaving from Ao Po Pier. During the boat ride you will watch a raptor show and get a detailed briefing about the nature and geological site of Phang Nga Bay. Learn the basic do’s and don’ts of how to securely enter the caves and hongs. Start the first kayaking session with your well-educated and experienced guide through limestone caves and lagoons in the dramatic setting at Panak Island. The hand-made kayaks are specially designed for your trip, and you can feel absolutely safe because there was never a capsize, a puncture or any accident. Your professional guide paddles you and your partner through 'Tidal Nape' sea caves inside Phang Nga Bay’s marine limestone karstic islands into 'hongs' (Thai for room). The hidden cliff-lined lagoons are populated with macaques, water monitors, kingfishers, mud-skippers, egrets, sea eagles and brahminy kites. Return to the escort boat and move on to the second island with two more caves and hongs to explore. You will finish after dark by floating your own self-made flower “Krathong” in a spiritual and spectacular natural light show. Guests say that the evening Loi Kratong ceremony complete with fireflies and dinoflagellates (bio-luminescent plankton) is a 'spiritual experience'. Eat a delicious seafood/vegan buffet on the trip back, you return to the pier two hours after sunset. Only the highest-quality ingredients are used to prepare the lunch and dinner, fresh from the local market. Seafood is net caught and chickens are free range. Brown, red, and black rice is served with homemade Massaman curry. Itinerary: • 10:30 - 12:00: Hotel pickup service in Phuket • 12:00 - 13:00: Meet the crew at Ao Po Pier & get instructions • 13:00 - 13:10: Departure by escort boat to Phang Nga Bay • 13:10 - 14:10: Enjoy lunch on board the tour boat • 14:15 - 16:15: Kayak into the cave at Koh Phanak • 16:15 - 16:30: Continue to Hong Island • 16:30 - 17:30: Sightseeing & kayaking at Koh Hong • 17:30 - 18:15: Free time for relaxing at the beach or kayaking • 18:15 - 18:45: Make your own Krathong & have dinner on the boat • 18:45 - 19:15: Float the self-made Krathong in the cave of Phanak Island • 19:15 - 19:30: See phosphorescent plankton • 19:30 - 20:30: Head back to Phuket • 20:30 - 21:00: Transfer to your hotel
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Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Get picked up from your hotel on the entire Phuket Island. If you are staying on the hill, you have to come to a nearby hotel. The exact pickup time will be confirmed by email after you have made the booking. Pick-up and drop-off service from/at Phuket Airport is also available. In this case let us know the flight number of arrival/departure flight.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The tour program is subject to change due to weather & sea conditions
Reviews(1,229)
Great experience. Our guide Dool was the best. Everything is set up perfectly and all you have to do is enjoy the moment. You get what you put into this experience. The more open you are to do doing different things like catching crabs or having a mud fight in a mangrove forest, the better the experience will be for everyone. Go out of your comfort zone as the guides have more fun when you have fun.
Definitely the best activity we had in Phuket! The trip was amazing, our guide Saman was amazing and everything was organized in the best possible way. It felt so personal in the best way possible and we cannot recommend it more to any other activity! The only thing is that they could not arrange the weather so because of the clouds we could not have the dreamed sunshine! So I blame them for that :) Just give them a chance, we are sure you will be glad you did it!
This was an absolutely amazing and unique, one-of-a-kind experience that is a must-do for anyone in Phuket. This experience is one of my key highlights of my trip and is what comes to mind when I think of Thailand. The crew is very nice and experienced. This experience is worth the money and the day it will take.
Well organised and included so many great parts to the day, definitely left with memories and had delicious food through out.
If I could 10/10 that’s what this tour was The tour guides where excellent with knowledge and made the experience super Made sure you had a wonderful time We were a group of 10. Date we went was 9/5/26 My husband and I (David & Mel ) had, Jay as our tour guide Could not speak highly of Jay, very patient with me going through the tight areas in the caves. Reinsured me we were all good. We are team ☺️ very knowledgeable of the area and explaining each cave. The food was so yummy, the flavour was mmm’ no words can describe The tour guides made sure to keep everyone informed on what was happening throughout the day Again can not speak highly enough of this caves tour and the guides. creating flower offering to release in the caves and share with the guides was wonderful If you are after a boat tour that is abit more smooth and not feel rushed like the speed boats tours, take this tour won’t be disappointed Out of all the boat tours we have been on, our many times visiting Thailand, this has to be the best hands done 💯
Super fun trip, served fresh Thai dishes for lunch and dinner. Made in the boats galley. Kayak guide Sammie gave a incredible tourof Hong Island Cave. Everyone made a candle float and we paddled out lite and released all of them in a candle lick ceremony. Highly recommend this tour.
Long day but worth the unique experience with bioluminescent & sea cave kayaks. Would have preferred a smaller group but everyone was well taken care of. Our boat had about 30 plus passengers . The guides are fantastic and paddle you through the caves so you can relax and enjoy. The dinner was delicious & beer for purchase on board if you want. Very enjoyable day.
This was the most amazing day!!! So well set up and organised the staff were soooo great!! Our guide Sammie was just the best, we laughed so much and he knew so much, showed us all the cool stuff!! Everyone so.so.great and friendly it really made the day!! A must do!!!
It’s hard to put this experience in words because of how so great it was. From beginning to end, everything was efficient and well thought out. The people were great, transportation was on time, the food was tasty, the staff were friendly and the views are unimaginable.
Definitely one of the highlights of our month in Thailand. The tour was extremely well organized, the buffet food was the best we had in Thailand, and the views were breathtaking. A very special moment was seeing bioluminescence inside a dark cave, which was unlike anything we had ever seen or imagined. Having a guide handle the kayaking allowed us to enjoy the scenery without worry, and the kayaks were very stable.
